Banana Fritters
Banana fritters are a type of dessert made by coating or incorporating bananas in a sweet batter, then frying them in oil. Most banana fritters are bite-sized, and can be made either with whole banana segments or mashed fruit formed into round balls. The fritters are enjoyed by many different cultures, from the Caribbean to Southeast Asia. Most every country that grows bananas has a recipe for banana fritters.
In general, any food that is battered and fried in small pieces is known as a fritter. A banana fritter is simply a banana prepared in this fashion. Most batters involve egg, flour, and sugar but may also involve spices, seeds, or honey.
Banana fritters popular in Caribbean cuisine typically involve mashed bananas. These sorts of dessert fritters are usually relatively smooth in texture. They require ripe or overripe fruits that are peeled and stirred into the batter itself. These sorts of batters are typically sweet and often incorporate cinnamon, nutmeg, and vanilla flavors.
Caribbean fritters are usually dropped by spoonful into hot vegetable oil and fried. The batter, which is often thickened with milk and egg yolks, tends to retain its shape while cooking in the oil. Fritters are done when the dough floats to the top. These sorts of fritters resemble donut holes in shape, but have the rich taste of bananas.
The banana fritters popular in Southeast Asian cuisine are usually a bit different. Most of these are made with young, barely ripe bananas that have a firm consistency. The fruit is peeled, cut into small segments, then rolled in batter.
These banana fritters are the perfect way to use up your overripe bananas. They are sweet, but not overly sweet as they do not contain any added sugar. They are soft, fluffy with a rich flavor from the bananas. Enjoy for breakfast, snack time or dessert. They pair well with tea or coffee!
Ingredients
• 4 overripe bananas
• 2 cups flour
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 teaspoon salt
• ½ cup milk
• 2 eggs
• ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
• Oil for frying
Instructions
Peel the bananas and place in a large bowl.
Mash with a wooden spoon or potato masher to form a paste (it will have lumps in it and that’s okay).
Add the rest of the ingredients into the bowl except the oil for frying.
Mix until just combine to form a batter.
The batter will be light and drippy.
Place oil in a pan up to 3 inches then heat up on high heat to 365 degrees Fahrenheit.
Reduce the heat to medium (this is important because very hot oil will result in the fritters burning on the outside without cooking through.
Place tablespoonfuls of the batter into the pan (if you have a small cookie scoop, use it to drop the batter into the oil).
Do not overcrowd the pan. Let the fritters cook until golden.
Flip to the other side and let them cook until golden too. Remove and place on paper towel to absorb excess oil.
Repeat process with the rest of the batter.
Enjoy for breakfast with some tea, or as a snack, or serve with chocolate sauce as a dessert.
Recipe Notes
1. You could use a cookie scoop to easily drop the batter into the oil.
2. These fritters are best eaten warm but they could easily be reheated in the microwave. Reheat in the microwave for only about 30 seconds at a time. If you leave them too long in the microwave, they might turn rubbery.
3. Sprinkle confectioner’s sugar on the fritters if you want to enjoy them sweet. They could also be served with sweet dipping sauces like chocolate sauce or caramel sauce.